Province braces itself for Easter weekend of wind and rain

Hopes of Spring weather over the Easter break have been washed away as Northern Ireland braces itself for a weekend of wind and rain.

People woke up to a fine and dry day on Good Friday, with Ulster enjoying blue skies and bright sunshine - but that pleasant spell is set to change across the UK.

Egg hunts on Easter Sunday are set to be interrupted with heavy showers, strong winds, and maybe even thunder.

The rain will start in parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland overnight before becoming more widespread across Britain on Saturday with “heavy bursts” expected.

Met Off ice forecaster Sophie Yeomans said: “Most of the UK is going to see rain.”

Strong winds are set to make Saturday a blustery day, with gusts of 55mph expected in some areas, rising to 65mph in coastal areas.

The Met Office’s yellow be aware warning of wind, which covers most of England and Wales but not Scotland and Northern Ireland, also advises the estimated six million people expected to travel over the weekend to be aware of possible disruption to their journeys.

Ms Yeomans said Easter Sunday will be brighter, with some sunny spells, but the showers are set to continue.

She said there may even be hail and thunder in some parts, while strong winds are expected to last into Monday.

The forecaster added: “There’s a lot of uncertainty exactly where the low pressure’s going to fall, but there is going to be a low pressure system moving through, and that’s going to bring some heavy rain and some very strong winds for a time as well.”

Patricia Yates, VisitEngland’s director of strategy and communications, said as many as six million people plan to take an overnight trip in the UK over the Easter weekend.